Myotonic dystrophy (DM or Steinert's disease) is a multisystemic, dominantly inherited disorder often characterized by myotonia or delayed muscle relaxation due to repetitive action potentials in myofibers, and muscle degeneration. Manifestations of DM may also include heart block, ocular cataracts, hypogonadism, and nervous system dysfunction. For example, DM patients often suffer from cardiac conduction defects, smooth muscle involvement, hypersomnia, cataracts, abnormal glucose response, and, in males, premature balding and testicular atrophy. Myotonic dystrophy is the most common muscular dystrophy of adults for which there are no effective therapies. It is a goal of the present disclosure to provide agents and therapeutic treatments for treating myotonic dystrophy.